The Triad Chapter of CBS will hold a butterfly walk on Saturday, September 14 to the Triad Chapter coordinator’s home pollinator garden in Winston-Salem, NC. Please bring water, and, if you have them, a butterfly field guide, binoculars and a camera.
If you want to join in on this butterfly walk, you must register, either online at the CBS website or RSVP to Bernyce Pritchard, the walk organizer, at the email address below.
On Saturday, July 20, 2024, the Midlands Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will participate in a NABA (North American Butterfly Association) count at Congaree National Park near Columbia, South Carolina, to look for mid-season butterflies.
Meet at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center (GPS coordinates 33.82984, -80.82343) where we will divide into smaller groups. Some groups will have larger areas to explore than others. Some of the trails will have roots and/or may be overgrown. There are no restaurants nearby. You do not have to be an expert to participate and may come for a whole or half day. Please bring water, lunch, snacks, and if you have them, binoculars, a camera and field guide. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.
Refer to the national park website link below for additional information and maps of the property. Please RSVP to Theresa Yednoc at the email address below if you can help with this important count.
On Saturday, June 15, 2024, the Triad Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will hold a butterfly walk at Pat Holder’s native plant home butterfly garden in Asheboro, North Carolina. There will be safe parking on the side of the country road as well as a little parking in Pat’s driveway.
If you would like to attend, please contact Pat Holder at the email address below to RSVP and obtain her address (which, for privacy and security concerns, is not published here).
On Saturday, June 18, 2024, the Triad Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will hold a butterfly walk at the Historic Bethabara Park Butterfly Garden. The Bethabara Gardens are beautiful, historically significant places to explore. When the Moravians settled Bethabara in the early 1750s, one of the first things they established were the gardens. The Pollinator Garden was not planted by the Moravians, but this new garden preserves their tradition and values of respecting and understanding of the balance of nature. The entire park encompasses 183 acres of preserved wildlife, historic buildings and grounds, walking and birding trails, and protected wetlands but we will initially be exploring the garden listed above. Refer to the website below for a map and additional information.
The park address is 2147 Bethabara Road, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27106 (or for those who prefer GPS coordinates, 36.15470, -80.29618). Please RSVP to Bernyce Pritchard at the email address below if you plan to participate.
On Saturday, September 14, 2024, the Midlands Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will participate in a NABA (North American Butterfly Association) seasonal count at Congaree National Park near Columbia, South Carolina, to look for mid to late-season butterflies.
Meet at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center (GPS coordinates 33.82984, -80.82343) where we will divide into smaller groups. Some groups will have larger areas to explore than others. Some of the trails will have roots and/or may be overgrown. There are no restaurants nearby. You do not have to be an expert to participate and may come for a whole or half day. Please bring water, lunch, snacks, and if you have them, binoculars, a camera and field guide. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.
Refer to the national park website link below for additional information and maps of the property. Please RSVP to Theresa Yednoc at the email address below if you can help with this important count.
The Carolina Butterfly Society Midlands Chapter will explore areas around and possibly inside the Super-Sod Farm in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Our target species is the Common Sootywing which has been recoded here in the past.
Meet at the Super-Sod office at 3086 Five Chop Road, Orangeburg, South Carolina, 29115. The GPS coordinates are 33.45936, -80.74331.
Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras, sunscreen, and bug spray. Long pants and close-toed shoes are recommended. Dennis Forsythe will lead. Please register on the CBS website or contact Dennis at [email protected] if you can attend.
We will meet at the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve Visitor’s Center at 9:00 a.m. The visitor’s center address is 1024 N Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines, NC 28387 (with GPS coordinates listed on the website as 35.1470, -79.3715). The GPS coordinates for the entrance to the visitor’s center from N Fort Bragg Road are 35.14681, -79.37183.
This location offers a pleasant walk through stands of pine forests. Pathways are packed sand. We will likely visit the Paint Hill Tract while at Weymouth Woods, and if time allows, we may make a stop at Sandhills Community College.
We will meet at the BP gas station in Hoffman, NC at 9:00 a.m. The gas station address is 2183 Caddell Road, Hoffman, NC 28347 and the GPS coordinates are 35.02646, -79.55963.
From the gas station, we will venture in to the Sandhills Gamelands to explore the various sand roads, pine stands, creeks, and lakes to see what we can turn up. Road conditions in the Sandhills Gamelands can be tricky at times. The roads are sand and are fairly solid but after wet weather can be difficult.
Target species are the King’s and Edward’s Hairstreaks. Additional species commonly seen are Palamedes, Spicebush, and Tiger Swallowtails; Common Buckeyes, Eastern Tailed Blues and Azures, and assorted duskywings.
It is recommended that you bring additional snacks, food, and beverages as during the walks we will be away from public facilities. Wearing sturdy walking or hiking shoes is recommended along with long sleeves and pants as we may go off trail in some locations to look for as many butterfly species as possible. It is also recommended you use a good bug spray, wear sunscreen, and carry water with you. Be sure to bring those items you may need (camera, binoculars, field guides, etc.) to ensure a pleasant experience.
Rob Gilson, who can be reached at the email address listed below, is the leader for these field trips. Please either contact Rob or register on the CBS website if you plan on attending.
On Saturday, July 6, 2024, NABA (North American Butterfly Association) will hold a butterfly count in the CSRV (Central Savannah River Valley) at the Silver Bluff Audubon Center in Jackson, South Carolina. Audubon’s Silver Bluff Sanctuary is a 3,400-acre woodland overlooking the Savannah River. Here you’ll find extensive pine forests and bottomland hardwood forests; beautiful walking trails; 50 acres of lakes and ponds; 100 acres of grassland; and all manner of birds, butterflies and wildlife. Refer to the website below for specific directions and additional information about Silver Bluff Sanctuary.
Meet at the Silver Bluff Audubon Visitor Center in Jackson, South Carolina. The GPS coordinates for the gate just outside the visitor center are 33.32451, -81.84501. The street address is 4542 Silver Bluff Road, Jackson, SC 29831. Please RSVP to John Demko at the email address below if you plan to participate.
Important note: Using the street address, some GPS systems tell you that you’ve arrived one mile before you actually reach the Silver Bluff gates. At that point, Silver Bluff Road transitions from a paved road to a well-maintained sand/clay road. Continue driving for one more mile and you’ll see the gates on your right. As stated earlier, the GPS coordinates above are for the gate located just outside the visitor’s center.
The Midlands Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will explore the Swampside Tract of Black River Cypress Preserve near Andrews, South Carolina. This preserve is privately owned and groups are admitted by appointment only. Please note that we need to have at least 6 people attend and each must sign a waiver upon arrival.
The Cypress Preserve offers a unique opportunity to experience some of North America’s most diverse and exotic ecosystems—from mysterious black water swamps and rivers to sparkling pine savannas. We will explore via winding hiking trails that feature interpretive signs and plaques, identifying the flora and fauna that have evolved in these landscapes over millennia.
We will meet in the parking lot near the main entrance. The preserve address is 16368 County Line Road (Hwy 41), Andrews, South Carolina, 29510. GPS coordinates for the preserve entrance that leads back to the parking area are 33.4988, -79.5341.
Restrooms are available on the property. Please RSVP or send any questions to Tom Austin at the email address below if you plan to participate.
We will begin the day at Kalmia Gardens. The address on their website is listed as 1624 West Carolina Avenue, Hartsville, SC 29550, but that is the mailing address for the building in the center of the gardens. We will meet in the parking lot; the entrance to the parking lot on West Carolina Avenue is located at GPS coordinates 34.36548, -80.11746. At Kalmia we will be looking for the stand of Atlantic White Cedar which is the host plant for Hessel’s Hairstreak.
After spending some time in and around the gardens, we will drive approximately 30 minutes to Cheraw State Park. Our target species at Cheraw are all the elfins and, again, Hessel’s Hairstreak.
Marty and Dave Kastner will lead this walk. Please RSVP to Marty at the email address below if you plan to participate. Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.